Abstract:
Researchers at Payam-e-Noor University of Tehran in collaboration with experts from Tabriz University of Medical Sciences found a simple synthesis method for zinc oxide (and hydroxide) and their application in modified carbon paste electrodes for determination of sympathomimetic drugs at micro-molar scales.

Zinc Oxide, Hydroxide Nanoparticles Utilized in Detecting Drugs

Tehran, Iran | Posted on April 22nd, 2013

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in adults worldwide. Given that a variety of pharmacologic treatments are commonly practiced for such diseases, the precise determination of cardiovascular drugs in biological samples is a valuable field of research. On the other hand, therapeutic drug monitoring is an important tool in pharmaceutical analysis laboratories for the optimal dosing of cardiovascular drugs.

Defects in such monitoring practices can result in additional patient-borne costs and treatment failures/imperfections. Today, despite the presence of different methodologies which enable high resolution determination and separation of complex mixtures from various matrices, yet fabrication of simple and straightforward drug sensors seem essential and exciting.

In the current research, zinc oxide and hydroxide nanoparticles with desired morphology and size distribution were synthesized through the conventional sol-gel technique. Afterwards, the nano-sized zinc oxide particles were investigated as active catalysts for electro-oxidation of sympathomimetic drugs via electrochemical routes.

Interesting features of this research work include the use of a very simple preparation method which is free of any surface-active agents, utilization of zinc oxide nanoparticles for oxidation of sympathomimetic drugs and their precise evaluation at micro-molar levels.

The findings of this research work have been published as an elaborate report in Acta Chimica Slovenica, Vol. 59, 2012, pages 863-869.